After much hating from me and other fans, the Seminoles proved us all wrong by pulling out the win late Saturday night. Florida State clinched their first win since December of 2023. This was a very encouraging win, but there are still many concerns about the team. The offense improved vastly in the run game but returned to their old habits in the second half. The defense had a solid game last week but took that to a new level against Cal. They were dominant, which was why FSU secured its first win. The 'Noles aren't back in playoff contention by any means, but this is a good sign for them as they try to salvage their season. The win today may not seem as impressive since it's just Cal, but it's still a big deal to beat an undefeated team. The victory wasn't pretty either, but it could snowball into more wins. Finally, it's a good day to be a Seminole.
The Run Game Finally Clicks...Kind of
We all saw how horrible this offense was at the start of the season. FSU had the worst rushing offense in America and a quarterback that people called to be benched after just one game. Though they improved on both aspects tonight, there's still some muttering behind those talking points. For now, though, let's focus on the positives. Florida State did the impossible and ran for over 100 yards in the first half alone against Cal. Leading the way was redshirt senior Lawrance Toafili. Toafili finished the night with eighty yards rushing and a rushing touchdown. He was solid for them the whole game, and I was glad to see that he was finally given the number of carries I think he should've been getting all season. Toafili averaged about five yards per attempt and even added a few catches. Starting running back Roydell Williams was ruled out the day of the game, leaving some Freshmen to get more playing time. True freshman running back Kam Davis showed some flashes tonight by displaying his power and ability to break tackles. He only ran for twenty-five yards, but Davis's future looks bright.
The clock struck midnight for the FSU rushing offense as they only ran for a grand total of three yards in the second half. Cal started to break down the injury-riddled offensive line, and we saw the FSU of old in the second half. It would've helped if DJ Uiagalelei had been a more proficient rusher, but sadly, he's still pretty slow. However, he finally finished a game with positive rushing yards. His eleven yards this evening puts him at negative three for the year. Luckily, the passing game began to click as the running game fell. The defense was also tremendous, and some crucial stops were made. Though it would have been nice to see the running game be this adequate for one entire game, it was still lovely to see it for half a game. That gives confidence to the players and coaches that they can effectively run the ball. Hopefully, they can assemble a complete game of efficient running next week. Maybe this will be all they need to boost them into becoming the excellent running team we all thought they would be before the season started. We'll have to take baby steps, but this game put them one step closer.
Dominating the Trenches
The Seminoles defense looked like their 2023 predecessors on Saturday night. They mirrored their performance from the ACC Championship by being relentless in the trenches and taking over the game. Florida State didn't allow a single touchdown against Cal, a rare feat against any team in 2024. Cal's offense is usually pretty effective, but not when they have unrelenting pressure on the quarterback. Cal was sacked seven times and was tackled for loss twelve times. This was mainly due to FSU's outstanding defensive line. The defensive line was praised all offseason for its potential, and it was an extreme shock when they laid an egg to start the season. It's only now that we see what this FSU defensive line has the capability of being. One of the biggest stars of the night was Patrick Payton. Payton is the Seminole's number-one edge rusher and went off against Cal. Payton sacked Fernando Mendoza three times and had three and a half tackles for loss. He relentlessly got to the quarterback, showcasing his elite bend and balance. FSU fans have been waiting for this type of performance from him all season, and now they can't get enough. Payton has first-round pick potential if he can keep up this production level.
Another massive star of the defense, possibly the game's player, is Josh Farmer. Farmer is the leader of this defense and led by example on Saturday night. From the interior, Farmer had 3.5 tackles for loss and a sack. However, the most absurd stat of all was his FOURTEEN pressures. No one could block him as Farmer was in the backfield seemingly every play. Seven of his fourteen pressures were on the quarterback. Mendoza was uncomfortable all night long between Farmer and Payton. Then, to make it a trifecta, Marvin Jones Jr. made his presence known. After struggling in the season's first three games, Jones recorded his first two sacks this weekend. On one of his sacks, he also forced a fumble. Jones even missed several opportunities to bring the quarterback down. On multiple occasions, Jones got to the quarterback and whiffed the tackle. He still had two excellent sacks, but he would've had an all-time performance if he had finished a few tackles. Saturday night's defensive dominance is exactly what FSU needed to turn around this season. The team seemed to have a new attitude while playing on Saturday. They were physical, hustled, and energetic. Three characteristics that we saw in that dominant 2023 team. It's very promising to see that that brought that back, at least for now. They'll need every bit of these traits next week, as their next opponent is the SMU Mustangs.
Quarterback Problem Sovled?!
After weeks of fans begging and pleading to bench DJ Uiagalelei, Mike Norvell tripled down and started him again. The result was a victory, so it's safe to say Norvell made the correct decision, right? Not necessarily. DJ did improve in this game and made some key plays to lead FSU to the victory, but there's still a lot to be desired. Uiagalelei finished the game, completing 59.3% of his passes for 177 yards, one touchdown and one interception. It's not an impressive stat line, but it did the job against Cal. Cal isn't a pushover defense, but they're far from the best defense FSU will face this season. DJ still missed quite a few throws in this game, which would have ended in big plays. That's common for a quarterback to make now and then, but it seems more common for Uiagalelei. He also led an offense that had a success rate of 38%, which is the 114th best in the country. So they're still terrible, even on a good day for the offense. They can't continue to play like this and expect to win games, even if they did just beat Cal.
The excellent news for DJ is that the players around him stepped up for this game, which helped him. He had a solid rushing attack, with Lawrance Toafili leading the way with a great game. Then there was senior Ja'khi Douglas, who had 86 receiving yards in the game and the game-clinching touchdown. That and the defense playing out of their minds gave DJ a bigger cushion. Despite this, the offense was still objectively putrid under his command, and the calls for change still exist. I don't know Mike Norvell's reasoning for keeping DJ in there, but if this is the best possible offense, that's incredibly sad. Throughout the game, we saw lots of young players make plays. Redshirt freshmen, true freshmen, and sophomores were all out there contributing. It hurts to see a fifth-year senior still struggle on the same field. It just feels like it's time to give someone else a chance that's younger. The FSU offense needs a spark, specifically at quarterback. It's time to pull the plug.
Up Next: Southern Methodist University Mustangs
FSU will face another newcomer to the ACC conference next week: SMU. SMU is an offensive powerhouse that scored 66 points on Saturday against TCU. The defense will have to hold SMU to less than twenty points to have a chance in this game. This will also be FSU's first road game of the season. SMU will host the 'Noles on Saturday night in a sold-out game for the Mustangs. FSU hasn't had an actual road game all year. Their season opener in Ireland was hardly an away game due to the massive number of FSU fans in attendance. I don't know how this team will be able to perform in a hostile environment. Especially the offense that has struggled to do anything in a friendly and quiet atmosphere. FSU will utilize this momentum to create another significant win next week.
Final Score: FSU 14, California 9
Bastable's Three Stars
1st: Josh Farmer (3.5 TFLs, 1 Sack, 14 Pressures)
2nd: Patrick Payton (3 Sacks, 3.5 TFLs, 5 Total Tackles)
3rd: Edwin Joseph (1 INT, 0.5 Sacks, 0.5 TFLs)
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